


Confetti, Kisses, and 365 Days of New Beginnings

by sweeterthankarma



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: 2x11 Compliant, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, First Kiss, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 23:12:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13200597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweeterthankarma/pseuds/sweeterthankarma
Summary: Justwannakeepcallinyourname requested, "Wayhaught from ep 2x11 where they were in the AU. Waverly is working at Shorty's & bringing Nicole her lunch & Nicole is crazy about her. Waverly keeps doing nice things for Nicole & her crush grows. Waverly finally says, 'there's just something about you I like' & kisses her..."





	Confetti, Kisses, and 365 Days of New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> So, this fic had been a work in progress for a while (apologies that it took so long!) and the other day, the New Year's Eve concept came to me and then it just clicked. Sorry to justwannakeepcallinyourname if it's not exactly what you hoped for, but I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Happy New Year's to all my readers! Also, let me know if you catch any of the little Easter eggs I snuck in here, there's a few... ;)

Nicole actually doesn't think she'll survive this shift.

The calls have been coming in nonstop, all for the same issue, and Nicole really doesn't understand why so many people of Purgatory don't consider the fact that the police likely already know about the situation. Sixty of Mr. Donovan’s chickens had escaped from his barn- there was a whole debacle on why he had sixty chickens in the first place, but Nicole wasn't really surprised by any of the calls she got anymore- and of course he was the first caller to jolt her awake at eight AM. Followed by an in person visit, in case Nicole didn't understand all of the information he’d relayed on the phone, and then a refusal to leave until they'd shared every detail of their rescue plan with him. 

Answering every call with, “yes, we’re quite aware that there are chickens loose across town, would you please tell me where you saw them?” was getting old fast. There wasn't enough coffee in the world to get Nicole through the hour, let alone the day.

Still, she asks for a coffee when she places her order at Shorty’s, along with tuna salad because she doesn't think she'll be eating chicken for awhile after today.

Waverly arrives late, and she's not even surprised because that's exactly the kind of day it is. But still, when she bounds in the door, styrofoam container in hand and a billboard bright smile on her face, Nicole forgets about everything else.

    “I’m  _ so sorry  _ I’m late,” Waverly says, huffing out a breath as she sets the food down in front of Nicole and perches herself on the desk the same way she always does, every day. It’s a consistency Nicole is more than happy to be accustomed to.

    “It’s been such a busy day and we already have so many customers drunk and refusing to leave our bar,” Waverly continues, running a hand through her hair and untying her ponytail. Nicole tries not to stare and fails, but Waverly’s eyes flutter shut as she flips her hair over her shoulder and continues to trail her fingers through it, and Nicole’s really just a goner, there’s no way she couldn’t be.

    “You know, because it’s New Year’s Eve,” Waverly says, breaking Nicole out of her trance and bringing her back to the real world, where she’d almost forgotten what day it was.

    “Oh, jeez, you know it actually kind of slipped my mind,” Nicole admits. “It’s been such a hectic shift I haven’t even had time to think about the world outside of these walls.” She gestures at the room surrounding her before opening her lunch; Waverly reaches over and grabs a chip from the container, grinning as she pops it into her mouth.

    “Sorry,” she mumbles, “I’m so hungry.”

Nicole smiles warmly at her. “Don’t worry, help yourself. There’s no way I can eat all these alone.” Shorty’s had recently started making homemade potato chips and Waverly had been bringing over all of the test batches, loading her lunches with more chips than she knew what to do with. She was never charged extra either, and the genuine interest on Waverly’s face when she brought over a new flavor for her to try was just a little too endearing for Nicole to ever say no to, even though she  _ loathed  _ the newest dill flavor.

When Waverly reaches over for another chip, Nicole notices something and moves before she can think better of it, her own hand on Waverly’s, feather-light and just barely there.

    “Waves, where’d your ring go?”

Waverly just sighs, and the sound makes Nicole’s chest rattle. “So...about that.”

Nicole’s lunch is discarded as Waverly explains how she broke things off with Perry, all attention focused on the girl in front of her and the words that leave her mouth. As she explains how she didn’t feel like Perry was “the one,” Nicole ignores the fluttering feeling her stomach, reminding herself that she’s here to help Waverly, to make her feel better and definitely not make this about her, or even worse-  _ them.  _ Nicole can dream all she wants, but what she hopes for and what happens are too very different things. She’s learned that lesson time and time again.

    “It just never felt right,” Waverly says with another deep breath. “I'm starting to feel like it never will.”

There's a long silence that's almost painful as they just look at each other, and Nicole is mentally scolding herself, desperate and searching for words but unable to bring herself to say any. The irony of the moment is just a bit too strong, but she’s fairly certain it’s all one sided, especially as Waverly looks at her quizzically the longer the silence prolongs.

    “No, it will,” Nicole says dumbly. “It just takes time.”

    “I suppose I'm just impatient,” Waverly says. “But I guess you’re right, everything happens when it’s meant to and you can’t force it. It’s just hard, I see so many people that are so happy and in love and I want to be like that, you know?”

Nicole gives her a sad smile. “Well, remember, I’m living proof that it’s never good to rush into a marriage.” She holds up her left hand, ring finger now bare. 

    “Especially if you’re in Vegas and with someone you barely know,” Waverly teases. 

Nicole rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I wasn’t the brightest then. But it was a lesson learned, and you’re lucky you didn’t make the same one.”

Waverly’s teeth hang on her bottom lip, gnawing as she nods and looks out the window. There’s a distant look in her eyes suddenly and her eyebrows furrow, as if she’s thinking or realizing something or maybe even having an epiphany, but before Nicole can question her she quickly snaps back to herself, eyes brightening as she lunges towards the pile of chips.

    “So I’m going to be working pretty late at Shorty’s tonight, but if you want to stop by I can get you some free drinks,” she says. “I’ll be off around ten thirty and we can watch the ball drop together, we just put in a bunch of new TV’s and they’re so nice!”

Nicole is taken aback, even though she probably shouldn’t be. She and Waverly are  _ friends-  _ they’ve spent time together besides just at the station or at Shorty’s. Waverly even slept over Nicole’s house once when they’d gotten a bit too drunk, watched too many Halloween movies, and then decided it was too late to drive home- but something about this feels different. There’s a sense of intimacy in Waverly’s words, but Nicole is sure she’s only imagining it. 

Waverly leaves soon after Nicole agrees, actively making sure she  _ doesn’t  _ say “it’s a date” in response. 

Nicole doesn’t know, but there’s a giddiness in Waverly’s nerves just as there are in hers, alive and rejuvenating and  _ unique,  _ unlike either of them have felt before. But there’s too many lunch deliveries to be made, too many phone calls to answer and police reports to file, that neither of them can dwell on it too much.

  
  


When Nicole finally arrives at Shorty’s- at ten thirty eight, because Waverly’s shifts usually run at least a few minutes longer than usual and she had to stop for gas, as well as take her time stalling in the convenience store as to not be  _ exactly  _ on time- it’s busier than she’s ever seen it. For a split second she worries Waverly will be stuck working overtime; all the seats she can see are filled, walls are lined with people standing, sipping beer and laughing loudly, and additional noise from the new televisions screening the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City makes the old-fashioned bar come to life in a way Nicole didn’t think was possible. But before Nicole can even scan the crowd and begin to worry, Waverly’s at her side in an instant, pulling her into a half-hug as she juggles two martinis in her hands. 

    “Don’t worry, I’m off,” Waverly says with a smile so bright it makes Nicole’s head spin before handing her one of the glasses. “I told you I could get you all the free drinks you wanted.”

Nicole raises her eyebrows as she takes a sip, relishing the way the sweet liquid burns just a little as it goes down her throat. She wants to say she doesn’t need alcohol when Waverly’s looking like that- silver crop top, hair in a braided ponytail and an adorable, sparkly tiara that reads “Happy New Year”. Instead, she says she’s glad she can finally relax and not have to worry about work.

    “Oh, same here,” Waverly says emphatically before leading Nicole to two vacant seats at the edge of the bar. 

    “How’d you manage to snag these?” Nicole asks, biting down a smirk as Waverly dramatically pulls her chair out for her.  _ She’s just excited for the new year and she’s being cute about it,  _ Nicole reminds herself.  _ This isn’t a date, she’s just being friendly. _

    “I just put up these reserved signs,” Waverly replies, gesturing to two placards that rest on the table in front of them. She snatches them up and leans over the counter, tongue sticking ever so slightly out of her mouth as she tucks them in a drawer Nicole can barely see from her seat. She takes a long sip of her martini, averting her eyes away from the tan expanse of skin between Waverly’s black jeans and crop top and paying attention to the same car commercial on the TV that she’s seen a hundred times instead.  

    “God, it’s so nice to be here and not be working,” Waverly says, looking around the expanse of Shorty’s with vibrant eyes. Nicole is amazed that she’s so positive after having such a long shift and that instead of begging to leave, she’s eager to stay. There’s a childlike sense of hope and wonder in everything Waverly does, Nicole had recognized it right away when she had first met her. It was rare and intriguing and genuine, and she’d never met anyone, let alone had the pleasure of knowing them so well, with the same kind of charm. 

Waverly goes on about how hard her day was but how she’s looking forward to the new year since she’ll be picking up even more shifts, and then hopefully earning enough money to go on a trip to Greece.

    “Why Greece?” Nicole asks, curious. She appreciates every word Waverly says, especially when it’s about something like this that she didn’t know before. It brings sense to all the meaning and passion she has for the world, and quite frankly, Nicole wants to learn from it- especially after a day filled with stress and one hassle after the next, she wants to escape into all the ideas Waverly has to offer. 

Waverly looks at her surprised when she questions her, eyebrows raised. There’s a look in her eyes that Nicole reads as incredulousness, but Waverly quickly conceals it and delves into her affinity for the history, language, culture, nightlife and food. By the time she’s done, Nicole’s about ready to pack her bags and join her. 

    “You know, you should become an airline spokesperson or something,” Nicole laughs, hand reaching out to touch Waverly’s thigh, and it’s so impulsive and quick and natural that she doesn’t even give herself the chance to overthink it. “I find it so fascinating, all the things that you’re interested in. I’m sure you could convince everyone in this bar to go to Greece if you really put your mind to it.”

The same look Waverly had given Nicole before returns and this time it doesn’t fade. “You really think so?”

    “Of course, haven’t you ever considered it?”

Waverly’s quiet for a few seconds before finally meeting her eyes. She shakes her head solemnly. “You know, all my exes said it was annoying. Champ, Perry, everyone. How much I cared about things and how much I  _ tried  _ to be happy, it was always just a burden. I always felt drawn to Greece, my whole life and I’m still not sure why, I don’t have family there but it kind of feels like I do. But there’s so much I want to see and it’s just…I think I deserve to talk about my hopes and dreams and not get rolled eyes in response, you know?”

In that moment, the glare from the TV shines on Waverly’s face in just the right light and Nicole can see tears in her eyes, even as she ducks her head and bites her lip. There’s no questioning in Nicole’s motion as she reaches out for her, hand on the space between her wrist and the back of her hand. 

    “Hey, Waves, it’s okay. I care, I’m here,” she says, trying to sound put together, like the admittal of the sorrows of the girl in front of her that she perceived as completely and utterly perfect didn’t break her own. “That’s complete bullshit how they didn’t care because your excitement about things is beautiful, it’s so special and that’s the way you should live. Everyone who isn’t living with that kind of ambition is going to regret it sooner or later, so you should be so,  _ so _ proud of yourself and all the things you’re capable of doing, now and in the future.”

Waverly twists her hand around, so fast Nicole doesn’t have time to register what she’s doing until her palm is against her own and their fingers are intertwined, tight and warm and  _ this feels right  _ are the only words Nicole can think. 

Driven by impulse and a spur of confidence Waverly’s touch brought out of her, Nicole dares to brush the hair out of Waverly’s face, tuck the brown strands behind her ear and lightly,  _ barely  _ tip her chin up with her index finger. She’s terrified, can already taste the burn of rejection that she’s felt too many times from other straight girls she’d miscalculated brewing in her throat. But Waverly just smiles- a sad, relieved, lopsided sort of smile- and meets Nicole’s eyes. 

It’s a long moment when everything else seems to fade out, the background noise of drunk patrons and Katy Perry performing on the TV and clinking of glasses all gone, the sound no longer even registering in Nicole’s mind. Waverly’s looking at her in a way that feels new, but somehow she thinks she’s seen it before, in a different lifetime maybe, it almost feels that way, and she repeats that thought as Waverly moves slowly, slowly closer.

    “Can I…” is all Waverly says, voice barely a whisper, and Nicole replies with something dull like, “of course” or “God, yes” or maybe even “please,” which has no comparison to the way she really feels inside, heart hammering and ribs already aching with what’s to come and how long she’s wanted it.

And then Waverly Earp is kissing her. Waverly Earp is the one  _ choosing _ to kiss her, unapologetic and without question, and relief fills Nicole so heavy she forgets how to breathe, not like she was doing so well with that anyways. Waverly’s mouth is soft and smooth against her own, more sentiment and earnest in her kiss than she could have ever dreamed of, and Nicole is amazed. When she tilts her head to the side just a little, Waverly kisses her harder and this is it, this is the way she falls in love and never gets out. Her hand clenches around the smaller girls’, knees bumping together as they finally break apart, breathless and grinning and almost laughing. All Nicole can feel is happy shock, knowing that she never miscalculated her, was never wrong for feeling like there might be something in their lengthy glances and prolonged hugs, was never wrong for thinking that Waverly was probably the most beautiful person in the world because yes, she most definitely is and now that Nicole knows how her lips taste she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to think about anything else.

    “I always wanted to do that,” Waverly says after a brief moment of silence, face still close to Nicole’s. There’s no regret in her voice, no fear of pushing things too far and it makes Nicole’s heart swell.

    “Me too,” she replies, and can’t help herself- she pulls her in for another kiss, just because she can. There's no questioning in this kiss, not even the slightest hint of doubt in the way either of them move against each other. Nicole’s hand is soft, but not tentative, against her waist, and her own fingers run through red strands of hair, relishing in the fact that she  _ can. _

    “Really?” Waverly asks once they’ve pulled away. “Did you always have a crush on me?”

Nicole laughs at how she uses the word “crush” still, like they’re not in their mid twenties and like she hasn’t made it ridiculously obvious. 

Nicole nods. “Since the day I met you.”

Waverly’s about to say something but stops, jaw dropping as she points to the TV and practically squeals, “oh my God, it’s almost midnight!”

If Nicole’s being honest, she’d almost forgotten it was New Year’s Eve, too caught up in Waverly and everything that entails with her presence. But now she’s excited, more excited than she’s ever been to start a new year, even though this one has ended in the best possible way she could have imagined. With Waverly at her side, hand in hers, she can’t even think of a new year’s resolution, satisfied enough by the way the night had turned out, not needing anything else.

Everyone in Shorty’s settles down when the countdown begins, preparing for the celebration once the final seconds of the year wane away. Waverly’s bouncing in her seat, lips against Nicole’s cheek, smiling as her fingers card through her hair, and the seconds tick by both slowly and quickly. Nicole relishes in the last few moments of this year, thinking back to the months of hard work and late night shifts and lunches delivered by the girl to her right, who she’s now lucky enough to sit a little closer to, breathe a little easier around, and sling her arm around her waist, a feather-light kiss on her cheekbone as the seconds tick away.

When the clock strikes midnight and the new year is rung in, the bar erupts in cheers and too many people set off those annoying party poppers, but Nicole has no time- or the need- to be irritated by it. Waverly’s on her feet instantly, grabbing the nearest confetti popper and releasing it, pointed in the direction of the rafters so that slivers of bright, colored papers rains above them. Waverly grins as she moves towards Nicole for a kiss, and it happens so quickly, yet so slowly. There’s anticipation even as she’s mere inches from her girlfriend’s-  _ girlfriend!-  _ lips and when they finally close the gap, it’s sweetness like neither of them have ever tasted before. Nicole’s hands slip around the curve of Waverly’s waist, pulling her close as Waverly’s fingertips brush past her jaw to the back of their neck. They kiss until they’re dizzy, all grin and softness in their mirroring expressions. There's no questioning in this kiss, not even the slightest hint of doubt in the way either of them move against each other. Nicole’s hand is soft, but not tentative, against her waist, and her own fingers run through red strands of hair, relishing in the fact that she  _ can. _

    “You know, there was always just something about you that I liked,” Waverly marvels as they pull away, watching the celebration of kissing couples on the television in the corner of the bar. The camera pans to a variety of different couples, lips locked, and Nicole thinks she can feel their happiness from here, is sure that they- and maybe even everyone else in the world- can feel her happiness too. Her heart’s never beat quite this fast for quite this long, and it's just another sign that makes her feel like everything is starting to fall into place.

    “And I'm hoping you still do?” Nicole says, voice lifted up at the end of her remark, teasing. “It's a new year, I don't know if maybe you've changed your mind about me already?”

Waverly turns away from the television, raising her eyebrows and giving Nicole a look. “Absolutely not,” she replies before arching forward, arm wrapping around Nicole’s shoulders to reel her in for another kiss.

For a long time, Nicole keeps her arm close around Waverly’s waist, and she relaxes in it. Her body is warm, lithe, comforting against her own, and being this close to her in a  _ real  _ way is so much more than when they would brush hands when passing styrofoam containers or brief hugs after a night spent together. This, Nicole thinks, is love, and she’d be afraid of how soon she allowed herself to think it, to accept it, if she wasn’t so sure that it was real.

It feels so right, righter than anything she's done in a long time. And they’ve got a whole year ahead of them for things to feel brand new and get even better, and maybe even a whole lifetime. 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send feedback, requests, memes, or cute cat gifs, either here or on my Tumblr by the same username!


End file.
